Stop means for textile machines



April' 4, 1944. c. B. HAYES STOP MEANS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1942 April 4, 1944. c. B. HAYES 2,345,599

STOP MEANS FOR" TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Sept. 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR r TT N Patented Apr. 4, 1944 4 UNITED STATES STOP MEANS FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Clyde B. Hayes, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., assigner to Van Raalte Company, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Appncauan september ao, 1942. serial No. 4stats 1a claims.

This invention relates to stop means for use in theV textile arts and particularly to means for causing machine stoppage under abnormal conditions of thread or yarn passage.

In my prior but copending application, flied jointly with Henry J. Czech, March 4, 1942, Serial No. 433,302, there is disclosed a-novel stop means for textile machines wherein the necessity for individual drop wi'res or heddles for yeach thread is obviated by the provision of a pair of spaced electrodes which are eiective to close an electrical circuit when bridged by a thread having electrically conductive properties. In the aforesaid application a' pair of spaced parallel rollers are provided and the rollers, which comprise a single electrode,- rotate counter to the direction ofthread movement. The second electrllilde is disposed between the pairof spaced ro ers.

By my present. invention I have devised an' conductor extending parallel to the roller.v In

the `preferred embodiment of the present inveni tion the roller is rotated so that the portion of its peripheral surface which is contacted by a thread displaced from its normal path of movement rotates in the direction of normal thread movement but at a faster surface speed than the normal thread speed. In this preferred embodiment the second electrode is disposed parallel and adjacent to the roller and in such position that the peripheral portion of the roller against which a displaced .thread will -bear in moving toward the second electrode.

In devising electrode means for operation in accordance with the broad principles taught in the aforesaid prior application, it is` necessary to provide for machine stoppage whether thread displacement is caused by an abnormal condition developed either before or after it passes the stop means. Such abnormal condition may be merely the result of the development of slack in a warp 'thread or actual breakage thereof. The necessity for stopping th machineirrespective of the locality of the origin of' thread abnormality` (Cl. (i6-163) posed adjacent the warp somewhere between the warp beam and the knitting mechanism.' The electrodes are preferably so disposed as to be engageable by any broken or slack warp thread.

The present arrangement is such that machine stoppage will occur promptly whenever a warp thread breaks or ends between the warp beam and the stop means. Machine stoppage will likewisef automatically occur wheneverslack is developed by breakage of a warp thread between the stop means and the knitting mechanism or by failure of the knitting mechanism to continue to withdraw a warp thread.

By virtue of the simplicity .of the resently pro-y posed electrode arrangement f stops are greatly reduced. False stops, that is, stops caused by the -stop mechanism but not due to thread or yarn failure, are an inherent defect of all stop mechanisms. By the present single roller arrangement they are reduced to a minimum.

While alcomplete and specific embodiment of l my present invention is shown and described in the ensuing specification, it is to be understood that this. embodiment is by way of example only and that the invention is not limited in spirit or scope otherwise than as deflned in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view 3o of a portion of a tricot knitting machine with the form of 'stop means of the shown in cross section; and, v

."Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the stop means of Fig. 1.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings" like characters of reference denote' like parts. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated only the two Velectrodes comprising the present novel arrangement. These electrodes are pref- 40 erably associated with machine controlling electrical circuits in the manner clearly shown and `described in the prior lapplication Serial No. 433,302, wherein the circuit containing the electrodes serves as the input of an audion ampli- :der whose output circuit directly controls mai chine operation by association with conventional relay operated switches. Since every detail of the electrical portion of the device of the present invention, beginning with the twoelectrical conductors leading. from the illustrated electrodes, may be identical with the electrical means vshown and completely describedin the prior ap- -Y plication, the disclosure of that partlofthe present device will not be repeated here.-

In Figs 1 and 2 the numerals Wand Il desig-y present invention by blocks 3I of insulating material.

nate a pair of side frame members of a. textile machine which in the-illustrated instance :is aw tricot knitting machine. A warp beam I2 is journaled between the side frames I and I I and Fig. 1 shows schematically'a conventional whip roll I3 and a tension bar I4. 'I'he whip roll I3 In Fig. 1 the warp is shown coming off of the bottomof the beam I-2 but this will be varied to warp from the bottom and the other from the' top of the beam. In Fig. 1 the dot and dash showing A indicates the most acute vthread angle, when the warp beam I2 is practically depleted, while the dot yand dash showing B shows the thread path when the warp beam is full.

Inthe drawings the numeral I5 designates an elongate pan which extends from one side of the machine to the other beneath the entire warp, which is designated IB in Fig. 1. 'I'he pan I5`-may be attached to the machine in any convenient manner. In its illustrated fo'rm the pan I5, which is of arcuate transverse .cross section, rests in the pair of insulating blocks I8 which in turn are secured to'a base plate I9 whose opposite ends may be downwardly anged as at 20, for securement to inverted U-shaped brackets 22 carried by the side frames I0 and II.

A :roller 25 extends parallel to and preferably concentric with the arcuate pan I5 in such a way thatthe under side of the roller may be continuously immersedin a liquid contained by the pan I5 and designated 26 inFig. 1.- The liquid may comprise any one which has the property of conducting electricity and is preferably one thereby. Various surface treatments of the roller are in contemplation and such surface treatment will depend to some extent on Vthe nature of the thread or yarn being used.. Besides lthe factor of retention of the liquid on the upper ex- 'posed surface ofthe roller, thereis the consider- 3I may be secured to the brackets 22 as shown. It will-be noted that the unit comprising the roller 25, the pan I5 and the liquid 26 which serves to electrically connect the Itwo, comprises an' electrically conductive body whollyl insulated from the remainder of the device 'and the machine with which it is associated. This assembly comprises one of the electrodes of the stop means and an insulated conductor 33 leads therefrom (Fig. 2). The circuit of the electrodes may bearranged in such fashion that its terminals are grounded, and if that be the case this aswhich' will not injurel thread or yarn contacted.

' n'uts 43.

The blocks `blocks 3I and carried thereby. Thewire-35 extends parallel to the roller 25 and is preferably disposed slightly below the top surface ofthe roller 25 and spaced therefrom approximately as shown in Fig. 1. The degree of spacing of the roller 25 relative to the normal path of the warp and the disposition o f thev wire 35 with respect to both the warp and the roller 25 will vary between certain limits according to whether the warp being handled is of nylon, cotton, rayon, silk, wool or other material.

In the illustrated instance a tensioning means for the wire 35 is provided. One end of the Wire 35 may be welded to a square rod 36 disposed in a square hole. formed in one of the insulating blocks 3|. The outer end of the square rod 36 may be threaded to receive nuts 37 for connecting a terminal 38 of a conductor 39. The other end of the wire 35 isprovided with an eyelet 4l) which is engaged by the hooked end 4I. of a rod 42 which extends through, the other insulating block 3l and is secured against displacement by In the illustrated instance suiicient tension to hold the wire 35 tautand straight may be imparted by interposing a coil spring 44 between the block 3l and a washer 45 retained by the nuts 43. In Fig. l a sley bar is shown at 50 between the stop means and the tension bar I for retaining proper spacing of the individual threads of 'the Warp.

The manner in which the single roll 25 of the present stop means cooperates with its companion electrode, the wire 35, will now be described. If a warp thread breaks between the warp beam, I2and the point where the warp passes over the roller 25, or if the particular .strand of thread or yarn comes to an end and leaves the warp beam, the strand will fall to the surface of the roller-25, which is moving in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, and has its under surface coated with a conducting substance, preferably liquid. The roller 25 has a surface speed greater than the rate at which vthe knitting mechanism consumes yarn and the roller 25 accordingly develops slack directly ahead of itself. y

I'I'he coated roller 25, or more properly the coated surface of the winding 28,V is sufficiently adherent to the yarn to move it somewhat downwardly as indicated in dot and dash .lines in Fig. 1. This movement causes the threador yarn to engage against the wire 35 which comprises the other electrode and as soon as thread or yarn which has been coated by roller 25 reaches the wire 35 the primary electrical circuit for effecting stoppage of the machine is closed and machine operation simultaneously ceases.

If a warp thread breaks between the roller 25 and the knitting mechanism or if the knitting mechanism fails to function properly so that slack develops in one or more warp threads such threads will similarly contact the uppersurfaceof the roller 25 since the remaining warp threads will r25 under the force of gravity. 'I he stop means could, however, be above the warp, with an air currentor the like for raising slack strands. If it be desired to vassociate the present warp stop with a warp moving vertically or obliquely, instead of horizontally, an air current couldlikewise be employed for urging broken or slack warp threads to the stop means.

What is claimed is: j

1. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure, said means comprising a roller having a peripheral portion thereof adja-A cent a normal .thread path, means for rotating the roller so that said peripheral portion moves in the general direction of the thread, means for maintaining said peripheral Aportion coated with an electrically conductive substance, said rollercomprising a terminal of an electric circuit, a second terminal of said circuit adjacent but spaced from said roller in the direction of thread movement, whereby a displaced thread contactingsaid roller has the conductive substance applied thereto and is moved to said second terminal to bridge said terminals and close a machine controlling circuit. 2. Means for controlling textilemachinery in response to thread failure, said means comprising a roller having a peripheral portion thereof, beneath and adjacent a normal thread path, means for rotating the roller so that said peripheral portion moves in the general direction of the thread, means for maintaining said peripheral portion coatedwith an electrically conductive substance, said roller comprising a terminal of an electric circuit,- a second terminal of said circuit adjacent but spaced from said roller in the direction of thread movement, whereby a displaced thread contacting said roller has the conductive substance applied thereto and is moved to said second terminal to bridge said terminals and close a machine controlling circuit.

`3. Means vfor controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure, said means comprising a roller having a peripheral portion thereof adjacent a normal thread path, means for rotating the rollerso that said peripheral portionv moves in the 4. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure, said means comprising a roller having a peripheral portion thereof beneath and adjacent a normal thread path, means for rotating the roller so that said peripheral 'portion moves in the general direction of the thread but at asurface speed greater than thel normal thread speed, means for maintaining said peripheral portion coated with an electrically conductive substance, said roller comprising a termin'al of an electric circuit, a second terminal of saidcircuit adjacent but spaced from said roller in the direction of thread movement,whereby a. displaced thread contacting said roller has the conductive substance applied thereto and is moved to said second terminal to bridge said terminals and close a machine controlling circuit.

5. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure, saidmeans comprising a control circuit having a pair of spaced electrodes, one of said electrodes comprising an elonl and means for rotating lsaid roller so that its pei ripheral portion nearest said thread path moves toward said other electrode.and in the direction of normal thread movement.

6. Means for controlling textile machinery inY response to thread failure, said means comprising a control circuit lhaving aA pair of spaced versely to the extent of thread passage and adjato the extent of thread passage and adjacentv a normall thread path, the other electrode extending parallel to said roller and in such manner that thread passes the roller before it reaches the other electrode, and means for rotating said roller so that its peripheral portion nearest said thread path moves toward said other electrode and in the direction of normal thread movement.

7. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure, said means comprising a control circuit having a pair of spaced electrodes, one of said electrodes comprising a roller having its axis disposed transversely to the extent of thread passage and adjacent a normal thread path, the other electrode being disposed adjacent said first electrode, and means for rotating said roller so that its peripheral portion nearest said thread moves toward said other electrode and in the direction of normal thread movement.

8. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread failure,said means comprising a control circuit having a pair of spaced electrodes disposed beneath and spaced from a normal thread path, one of said electrodes ccmprising a roller having its axis disposed transcent a normal thread path, the other electrode being disposed adjacent said rst electrode, and means for rotating said roller so that its peripheral portion nearest said thread moves toward said other electrode and in the direction of normal thread movement.

9. Means for controlling textile machinery response to thread failure, said means comprising a control circuit having a pair of spaced electrodes disposed adjacent a normal thread path,

one of said electrodescomprising an elongate roller disposed transversely to the extent of thread passage and adjacent a normal thread path, the other electrode extending parallel to said roller and in such manner that thread passes the roller before it reaches the other electrode,

and means for rotating said roller so that its peripheral portion nearest said thread path moves toward said otherelectrode and in the direction of normal thread movement.

10. Means adjacent and beneath a normal thread path for stopping textile machinery upon.

thread failure, said means comprising a pan con;

taining a liquid capable of conducting electricity and a roller disposed to rotate in said liquid with its upper peripheral portion disposedl thereabove. means for rotating said roller with itsupper peripheral portion moving in the same direction as the thread, said pan and said roller comprising a terminal of an electric control circuit and a second terminal spaced therefrom in the direction of thread movement, said control circuit heing closed by contact across said terminals of a thread bearing conducting liquid.

ll. Means for controlling textile machinery in response to thread' failure, said means comprising a control circuit having a pair o! spaced electrodes, one of said electrodes comprising a roller having its axis disposed transversely to the extent of thread passage and adjacent a normal thread path, m'eans for` coating said roller with an electrically conductive substance, the other electrode being disposed adjacent said first electrode, and

autres l means for rotating said roller'so that its Peripfl;

eral portion nearest said thread moves toward said other electrode and in the direction of nor' mal thread movement.

12. Means for controlling textile machinery in .response to thread failure, said means comprising a control circuit having a pair oi' spaced electrodes, one of said electrodes comprising an elongate roller disposed transversely to the extentie! thread passage and adjacent a normal thread path, means for coating said roller with an electrically conductive substance, the other electrode extending parallel to said roller and in such manner that thread passes the roller before it reaches the other electrode, and means for rotating said roller so that its peripheral portion nearest said thread path moves toward said other electrode and in the direction of normal thread movement.

CLYDE B. Haras. 

